THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend considered the place of former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in the polity and arrived at this verdict: He has failed Nigerians and inflicted pain on them.
The PDP took this position against the backdrop of a statement credited to Buhari that the only thing that the PDP government had not tampered with was the Holy Koran.
In a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the party expressed shock that Buhari could make such a statement despite huge efforts being made by the PDP government to transform the country.
The party said: “There is still room for improvement no doubt, but Nigeria under the PDP has recorded tremendous gains in terms of advancing the rule of law and the fundamental rights of Nigerians, indeed, in other indices of good governance which democracy is usually expected to guarantee.
“We are shocked that an elder statesman could paint such an ugly picture, laced with tissue of lies, of his dear nation just to advance his political fortunes. We shudder that a former head of state under whose watch freedom of expression landed many Nigerians in detention on account of his obnoxious decrees, and who now enjoys such freedom, is utterly ungrateful to the efforts of our great party in advancing the cause of democracy.
“If the CPC leadership does not understand what the rule of law is, let’s oblige them with little details.
“Today, criticisms, even destructive ones are hurled at the PDP-led Federal Government and no one is harassed because we uphold the inalienable rights of the people which are at the heart of democracy .We throw our doors open to criticism so that we accommodate alternative views.
“Today, the PDP loses elections and winners are sworn-in and we do not use our incumbency at the centre to truncate the democratic wishes of the people. However, in the states held by the opposition parties, local elections are massively rigged as witnessed recently in Lagos and Ogun states and where we defy the odds to emerge victorious like in Imo State, machinery of government is used to frustrate the expressed wish of the people.
“The rule of law if we must state further is that in our drive for transparency and accountability, some leaders of our party have been caught by the long arm of the law and we never obstructed the course of justice.
“Do we need to add that the PDP-led Federal Government does have deference to the rule of law and that is why we enacted the Freedom of Information Act so that every Nigerian will not be in the dark as to how the nation is run, and so that they can be armed to demand for what is right?”
PDP also said that it had demonstrated rule of law in congresses and national conventions.
“Must we also tell the leadership of the CPC that in our congresses and convention, deference to the rule of law is the word? And that notwithstanding our size, we successfully manage dissenting views and establish strong leadership not dogged by factions like the CPC?
“And for Gen. Buhari, the evangelist of rule of law, Nigerians wish to know if unlawful incitement of the populace to violence and attack on the institutions of democracy are part of the rule of law?
“Is the imposition that marked the congresses of the CPC in 2011 which is still hunting the party till date an act in rule of law?
“We wish to advise Gen. Buhari to concentrate in giving Nigerians his alternative ideas and plan of action to what the PDP has at present or even engage us in a public debate on the values of good governance. We pray that his party or whatever alliance they are negotiating presents Buhari once more as a presidential candidate so that Nigerians will make their choice”, the statement added.
It was alleged that while on a visit to Kano State last week, Buhari attacked the PDP, saying: “Under normal circumstances, we are supposed to work strictly within the provisions of the constitution, but this is Nigeria and nothing is perfect and the only thing they have not tampered with from 1999 to date in Nigeria is the Holy Koran.”
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